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VOL 41 No.
Maryland Holstein Association Changes Name, Elects Officers
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Potato Growers Should Spray When Conditions Point To Late Blight
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
WILLOW STREET (Lancaster
Co.) An ounce of fungicide is
worth tons of culled potatoes, to
parody a familiar expression. In
other words, American potato
growers shouldn’t wait until they
see signs of late blight to start
spraying fungicide.
In fact, waiting until the fungus
appears and begins devastating a
crop could be extremely costly and
create long-term problems with
fungus control, according to a
Michigan State University plant
pathologist. ,
Dr. Willie Kirk spoke about the
challenges Michigan growers
Sheep Referendum Vote: Yes
WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S.
Secretary of Agriculture Dan
Glickman announced recently that
a proposed national promotion,
research, and information program
for sheep and wool has passed in
an industry wide referendum.
USDA’s Agricultural Market
ing Service, an agency in the
marketing and regulatory program
mission area, has oversight
responsibility for federal research
Com Talk, Custom Rates Published
A special section this week in Lancaster Farming is Com Talk,
which features information useful to the com grower. Com Talk, from
the Pennsylvania Master Cora Growers Association (PMCGA), is
published three times per year as a feature of the newspaper. Included
in this section are reports on the Pennsylvania Five-Acre Com Club
contest, on-farm interviews, research information, and advertising
messages.
In addition, on page DIO, the spring custom rates are published from
the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service.
60| Nr Copy
faced in the past two yean with
late blight outbreaks. He spoke
Wednesday on the first of a two
day event at the 45th annual Potato
Growers Institute and 80th annual
meeting at the Willow Valley Con
vention Center.
What is becoming frightening,
researchers agree, is that the new
strain of fungus has become more
virulant, can survive freezing
temperatures, and is developing
resistance to common fungicide
treamients.
Kirk said the fungus is like any
living organism and simply wants
to survive. To do so, it changes its
characteristics to promote its own
survival, according to the
and promotion programs. AMS
Administrator Lon Hatamiya said,
“Of the 19,801 valid ballots cast in
the Feb. 6 referendum. 10,707
(54.1 percent) favored and 9,094
(45.9 percent) opposed implemen
tation of the Sheep and Wool
. Promotion, Research, Education,
> and Information Order."
i Of those persons voting in the
t referendum who cast valid ballots.
I (Turn to Pag* ASI)
Saluniiy,
LancooNr Mutiny,
KAREN BUTLER
Maryland Correspondent
FREDERICK, Md. “Leap
Forward With Maryland Holstein
Genetics” was the theme of the
1996 Maryland Holstein Conven
tion, held last weekend in Freder
ick and hosted by the Frederick
County Holstein Association.
Breeders from across the state
came together for the annual
meeting, election of officers and
board of directors, and presenta
tion of Breed Improvement, Pro
gressive Breeder, and other
awards.
After a successful sale on
Thursday, the annual business
meeting was first on the agenda
for Friday morning. Convention
Chairs Tom and Bonnie Rems
burg welcomed those in attend
ance to Frederick County, where
32,000 cows provide 30 percent of
all milk products in Maryland.
The business meeting was con
ducted by outgoing President
Charles lager.
Judy lager received warm
thanks for nearly two decades of
service as publicity chair for the
Association. Mrs. lager stepped
down after 18 years as chairperson
pathologist.
“Fungicides force the ‘hand’ of
the fungus, force the fungus to be
something else,” said Kirk. Kirk
indicated that with the current var
ieties grown, there is a “very thin
line” between survival and com
plete devastation.
Kirk presented a history of the
late blight disease, which may
have been present during the Great
Dairy Council Celebrates 76 Years
The 76th annual meeting of Dairy Council, Inc., was held Thursday morning. At the
meeting are from left, Ivo Otto, Jr., vice president; Robert Winner, new president; and
Robert McSparran, retiring president. See story page A 26.
March 16.1M1
of the Publicity Committee.
In addition to the many other
hats she wears, Marylanders have
Judy as the state editor for South
eastern Holstein News.
National Holstein Association
representative Clarence Stauffer
offered some thoughts on possible
changes in cow classification pro
grams.
There will be a proposal to do
away with lowering scores on
cows. Only 12 percent of cows are
Eckel To Step Down As
Farm Bureau President
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
CAMP HILL (Cumberland
Co.) During a special press
meeting last week, Keith Eckel,
president of the Pennsylvania
Farm Bureau, announced his resig
nation effective April 1 and the
assumption of office by current
Vice President Guy Donaldson.
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau,
is an independent, non
governmental, voluntary organiza
Potato Famine in 184 S in Ireland.
But there is no way to prove strains
of the fungus have been around
since then, since there arc no iso
lates from that period.
One strain, A 2. which spread
from Central Mexico, is common
in many areas of the world. In
1992, different, more virulent and
survivable strains, US7 and USB,
came into the eastern U.S. and
rrm Hcpm
now lowered in sc6re, fchd Canada
does not currently lower cows.
A Junior program for Juniors to
score herds is also being looked
into.
Mr. Stauffer encouraged breed
ers to use the “A Value” in mar
keting their cows. He said the “A
Value” refers to good cow fami
lies; it’s based solely on the fe
male side, and is a ranking of
cows based on cow families. It has
(Turn to PaQ« A2O)
lion which represents 23,851
member-families in 54 county
units (There are 67 counties in
Pennsylvania, therefore some
grassroots level organizations
cross county boundaries.).
Eckel has presided over the
organization for IS years, while
being in partnership with a brother
on a 1.400-acre field crop and
gtpen wrap tomato production and
marketing operation.
(Turn to Pago A2B)
Canada. In the 1994 potato blight
outbreak common to the eastern
U.S., strains of USI and USB were
predominant. In 1995, “almost all
cases” of late blight were the USB
strain. USB is moving to California
and to the Rocky Mountain slates,
including Idaho.
The USB strain is “extremely
virulent, produces a lot of spores,
(Turn to Pago A 32)
$25.00 P«r Year